Said har



(No Model.)

F. L. OONNABLEK: T. V. HARPER.

- ELECTRICAL SURGICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 463,785. Patented Nov. 24, 1891.

BY a 1'! z ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES @QZW PETERS 120., mu

STATES PATENT Fries.

' FRANK L. CONNABLE AND THOMAS V. HARPER, OF XENIA, OHIO; SAID HAR- PERASSIGNOR AND SAID OONNABLE ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TWELFTH TO AUGUSTA MASONCONNABLE AND FANNY M. OONNABLE, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRICAL SURGICAL INSTRUMENT.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,785, datedNovember 24, 1891.

' Application filed January 15, 1891 Serial No. 377,859. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK L. CONNABLE and THOMAS V. HARPER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Xenia, in the county of Green and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricalSurgical Instruments; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

Our invention relates to improvements in electrical surgicalinstruments, as forceps and probes, whereby the aid of the electricalcurrent is invoked in searching or probing for a foreign metallic bodyand in providing for signaling the contact of the instrument with thesaid body, the signaling continuing as long as such contact exists orthe foreign metallic body is grasped by the instrument,but ceasing, ofcourse, the instant such body he comes separated from the instrument.Thus.

much unnecessary pain and laceration are avoided, which result from theuse of the ordi 2 5 nary forceps, where the sense of touch has to bealone relied upon and where the instrument frequently grasps a ligamentor tendon.

In effecting the important results set forth we employ the applianceshereinafter ,disclosed.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Two steel strips a a, forming the jaws of the instrument, are insulatedfrom each other by means of the insulating-strip b, and are inclosed inthe rubber or other insulating tube 0, all of which extend from or nearthe bottom of the handle A to the topof the instrument. The metal tubecl fits loosely over this, and is provided at the upper end with an insulating-thimble e, which fits in the tube cl tightly or is otherwisesecured to it, and which fits or encircles the steel strips and theirinsulating-strip loosely enough to admit of its being moved up and downupon them easily. The other end of the tube cl is provided with thecoarsely -vthreaded or spirallygrooved metal tube f and the thumb-nut g,by which it may be turned. The steel strips a a are rounded on theirouter and flat on theirinner surfaces, so that when they and theirinsulating-strip b are finished, ready for the insu lating-t-ube 0, theypresent the appearances of a round rod or bar. The upper end of thesteel strips are permanently sprung outward, 5 5 so that when the metaltube cl is drawn toward' the handle A the steel strips separate byreason of their normal spring-tension. The extreme upper ends ofthe'steel strips a a are bent in toward each other and are provided eachwith one or more sharp teeth or points, which, when the instrument isfully closed, overlap or pass each other slightly without coming intometallic contact with each other. The lower endsof the steel strips aresecured to the handle A in any suitable manner, care being taken duringthe entire manufacture of the instrument to prevent any electricalconnection or contact between the two steel strips. Thelower or handleends of the steel strips are provided with suitable means for makingconnection to the respective poles of a battery D, which includes in itscircuit a bell. F or buzzer or other suitable device for producing asignal when the cir- '75 cuit is closed. The lower or spirallyrgroovedend of the tube fenters the handle A and engages with a correspondingthread or spiral groove, or an in wardly-proj ecting stud, pin, or screwin the handle may engage with the thread or groove in the tube f, sothat by turning the tube by means of the thumb-nut g the tube maybemoved up or down, and thus open or close the jaws a a.

The operation of the instrument is asfollows: The two steel strips beingconnected with the respective poles of a battery by means of a suitableplug or otherwise, the instrument is inserted into the wound with thejaws closed, as shown in the drawing, and when the jaws touch the bulletor any other foreign metallic body the circuit is closed and a signalgiven. The nut g is then turned, causing the jaws to open by reason oftheir normal spring-tension. IV hen opened suffi 5 ciently. to allow theforeign body to come within their grasp, they are then closed upon it byturning the handle in the reverse direction, which by forcing the tube(Z upward draws the jaws toward each other, the electrical signal beingcontinuous as long as the metallic bodyis grasped by the instrument andceasing immediately should it slip from its grasp.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. The electricalsurgical instrument having the electrically-insulated jaws adapted toconnect with the battery-wires and provided with approximately closedjaws, and the adjustable sleeve adapted to actuate or spread said jaws,substantially as set forth.

2. An electrical surgical instrument composed of the combination ofsteel strips, an

insulating central strip, an insulating-tube inclosing said strip, anoutside adjustable sliding tube, an insulating-handle, and a batteryconnection, substantially as set forth.

3. An electrical surgical instrument composed, in combination, of steelstrips a a, forming at upper end overlapping jaws, the insulated centralstrip 1), the inclosing insulatingtube 0, the outer tube (I, providedwith a thimble 6 and adjusting thumb-nut g, the tube 1, which saidthumb-nut turns, the handle, and a battery connection, substantially asset forth. a

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

FRANK L. OONNABLE. THOMAS V. HARPER.

\Vitnesses:

ABNER S. BUCK, SAML. L. WITHAM.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 463,785

It is hereby certified that Letters Patent No. 463,785, granted November24,] upon the application of Frank L. Oonnable and Thomas V. Harper, ofXenia,

for an improvement in Electrical Surgical Instruments, was erroneouslyissu Frank L. Oonnable, Augusta Mason Connable, and Fannie M. Oonnable,as

owners of the invention; that said Letters Patent should have beenissued to Frank L. Connable, Harper, said Harper being owner ofone-fourth interest in said invention as shon the record of assignmentsin this Ofifice; and that the proper correction has been in the filesand records of the case in the Patent Ofifice and should be read iAugusta Mason Gonnable, Fannie M. Oonnable, and Thonu Letters Patentthat the same may conform thereto. Signed, countersigned, and sealedthis 8th day of December, A. D. 1891.

[SEAL] --GYRUS BUssEY, Assistant Secretary of the Inter Countersigned lW. E. SIMoNDs,

Commissioner of Patents.

